Amazon Kindle ads show up on Google UK

Amazon has just cut the price of the Kindle 2 in the US, suggesting the intermittent supply problems the retailer experienced may have finally been resolved, or that it's angling to sell more units of the ebook reader by reducing the cost.

But is this also a sign Amazon may be ready to offer the Kindle elsewhere in the world, having seen success in the American market? Here in the UK perhaps?

A search for "Amazon Kindle" on Google UK brings up a sponsored advert from Amazon, linking to the UK store, although with the note that unless you have a US credit card and shipping address, the Kindle's not for you.

So is Amazon just protecting its brand from other advertisers or is it a sign it's seriously gearing up for a UK launch?

It was said to be operator issues and negotiations that has slowed down the launch of the device in Great Britain, but those negotiations must have been going on for some time now.

In the increasingly competitive UK mobile operator market, we could easily see one of the big four operators leaping at the chance to support the Kindle's wireless connectivity and get a share of the excitement the launch of the new gadget would bring.

It's all just speculation at this stage, but maybe a back-to-school autumn launch, or at the very least, Christmas availability, might be an option...